Saturday morning cartoons and a little bit of nature

Families are encouraged to enjoy the nature trails in Cabin John Park

Sophia Wong, 4, of Gaithersburg, eats Cinnamon Toast Crunch while watching cartoons Saturday morning at Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda. The program is designed to encourage families to visit the center and enjoy the outdoor trails.

Woody Woodpecker and his crazy antics took over Locust Grove Nature Center in Bethesda on Saturday morning filling the building with his signature laugh and boundless energy.

It was not a cartoon coup that brought Woody to the center, but a nature program inspired by the famous redheaded woodpecker and memories of Saturday mornings spent eating cereal and watching television, Locust Grove Program and Facility Director Priscilla Taylor said.

The Nature Cartoons and Cereal Breakfast program is new at Locust Grove.

"Our real goal is to get people outside. I'm looking for ways for people to come to the nature center, then get them out in the woods," Taylor said. "After watching the cartoons we will talk about the truth of the way animals live then go for a walk to learn what these animals really are."

Taylor said she has fond memories of watching Saturday morning cartoons as a child. So she decided to bring the tradition of cereal and cartoons to the nature center as a way to get families into the center. Adding the nature walk was a way to introduce people to the trails around the center.

Lisa Shum, of Gaithersburg, and her daughter Sophia Wong, 4, signed up for the program.

Sophia spent more time looking at the animal displays in the center than at the TV screen with Woody outsmarting his enemies, but when it was time for breakfast she easily fell into the tradition of watching cartoons while eating cereal.

Her eyes never left the screen as she spooned Cinnamon Toast Crunch and milk to her mouth, watching Woody Woodpecker for the first time.

Enzo Erwin, 3, of Gaithersburg, was immediately mesmerized by the cartoons, taking just a quick moment to look around before settling in. He and his father, Jared Erwin, stopped by the nature center and were invited to take part in the program because some who had reserved spots did not show up.

"We just got lucky [today] with this program," Erwin said.

Enzo had never seen Woody Woodpecker before although he "typically watches something on Saturday morning," Erwin said.

Midway through the 90-minute program Taylor stopped the show and talked to the children about real woodpeckers, showing them pictures of different kinds and explaining that they drill holes into trees to get bugs to eat.

As though on cue, a small Downey Woodpecker flew to a birdfeeder outside the window and everyone got an up-close look at one of the half dozen woodpeckers native to the area.

During the hike, Taylor encouraged the children to look for small woodchips on the ground, a sign that woodpeckers were in the trees overhead doing their thing. The walk included lessons on other elements of nature too, not just woodpeckers.

As they walked along, the children picked up leaves, found seed pods and rubbed the soft lichen growing on the bark of trees. Sophia even noticed one thin tree bent over so it was touching the ground at each end.

"Look, a rainbow stick," Sophia said.

Getting outside for a hike was the real purpose of the program Taylor said. And it was the part that got the best reviews by the parents.

"It was awesome. It's nice to get to go out in the woods. We don't do that often, you have to look for opportunities," Shum said.

Locust Grove Nature Center is located at 7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. The Nature Cartoons and Cereal program will be held again on Dec. 11. Call 301-765-8660 or visit www.LocustGrove